Coal or grain distributing apparatus.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A INVENTOR 14g v"- A|\ n S n Y f uml@ G, A. TURNER. GOAL 0R GRAIN DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

, A A J Rm@ w A APPLIGATION PILED 00T. 5,1904.

WIT/Vl; SSLS PATENTED- .TUNE I20, 1905.

C. A. TURNER. GOAL OR GRAIN DISTRIBUTING APPARA'I'UQ.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, 1904.

3 SHEETS--SHEBT 2.

PATENTED JUNE 20,1905.

C. A. TURNER. COAL OR GRAIN DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT,5,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/VI/ENTOR a. 7

I llarney UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

CHARLES AUGUSTUS TURNER, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

COAL OR GRAIN DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,682, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed October 5, 1904. Serial No. 227,325.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES AUGUSTUS TUR- NER, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal or Grain Distributing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in coal or grain distributing apparatus, the object being to provide means for distributing or spreading the coal or grain or other matter evenly throughout the hold of the vessel being loaded, thus lessening the expense and avoiding the danger involved in trimming the -load by manual labor.

With these ends in View my invention consists in the parts and combinations of parts and details of construction, as will be more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in transverse section through thehatch of avessel, showing my improvementin place. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the distributing-table. Fig. 3 is aview in section through same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the table-supporting bracket. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the tablewings, and Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of same. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the channel-iron 1, bracket 5, and shaft 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing one of the brackets 16.

1 represents channel-irons having bent ends 2, adapted to take over the hatch-coaming 3 of a vessel and support the distributing apparatus. These channel-irons (of which there are two arranged parallel over the hatch) may be of a size to lit the hatch, but are preferably made up of sliding sections, so that they may be adjusted in length to fit hatches of various sizes. These'channel-irons form a support for a hopper 4 and for the base-plate of bracket 5, in which shaft 6 is mounted. Secured to this shaft 6 near its lower end is the trimmer, which comprises a table and a series of radial defiecting wings or vanes. The table is composedof two concavo-convex plates 7 and 8, placed with their concave faces adjacent and secured together at the outer edges, thus forming a hollow horizontal circular body convex on its upper and lower faces. The plates thus secured together are provided each with a central opening for the passage of the shaft, and thimbles 9 embrace the shaft between the plates and are secured to the shaft and plates, thus locking the plates to the shaft.

Secured to the top or convex face of the table formed by the plates 7 and 8 are the wings or vanes 10. These wings 10, preferably four, are enlarged and rounded on their upper edges to direct the material between them and are dished at their sides to more readily engage the material and guide it in its outward movement when thetrimmer is revolved. These wings are preferably made of heavy castings of general V shape longitudinally and transversely, as shown, and are riveted at their edges to the top plate 7 of the table.

Secured to the under side of the lower plate 8 and surrounding the shaft 6 is the bearingdisk 11, which latter rests on the antifrictionballs 12, seated in a raceway in the hub 13 of the four-armed brace 14. The arms of this brace are connected at their outer ends to the sectional rods 15, the sections of each of which are connected by a turnbuckle 16, whereby the rods may be adjusted as to length, so as to level up the trimmer-table and also to raise or lower the trimmer within certain limits. The upper ends of these rods may be either secured to brackets 16, attached to the hatchcoamings, or to the channel irons, or to a bracket 16, clamped to the coamings, and operate, as clearly shown, to sustain the weight of the trimmer in its position within the hatchway. In Fig. 1 the trimmer is shown in a position to distribute the material in the upper hold, and in dotted lines I have shown the trimmer in position for distributing the material in the lower hold. It will be apparent that when the trimmer is set for distributing in the lower hold the rods 15 shown in full lines would have to be replaced by the longer ones shown in dotted-lines.

The lower end of shaft 6 passes through hub 13 of the brace 14 and operates to hold the tfimmer in position. The shaft 6 passes loosely through sleeve 15l ofbracket 5 and is provided on its upper end with a hook 17, by which the shaft and its attached trimmer yare supported by any suitable tackle while assembling the parts and also while adjusting the trimmer to its several vertical positions.

Seated on sleeve l5a of bracket 5 is the bevel-gear 17a. This gear is connected to shaft 6 by spline and groove, so that the shaft may move vertically therein, but rotates therewith. Meshing with gear 17a is bevel-gear 18, secured on shaft 19, driven by motor 2O or any other suitable source of power.

In the operation ofthe apparatus the coal, grain, or other material is fed to the hopper through chute 2l and falls through the latter onto the trimmer. This trimmer revolving at the proper rate of speed stops the downward fall of the material and throws it in all directions horizontally, thus causing the vmaterial to evenly distribute itself over the compartment being filled by the trimmer.

After the several compartments adjacent to one hatch have been filled the apparatus can be moved to the next hatch, L,and so on until the entire load has been deposited in the vessel.

It is evident that many slight changes might be made in the relative arrangement of parts herein shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not Wish to confine myself to the exact construction herein shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 2 l. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a vertical shaft, a table thereon and radial wings or vanes secured to the upper face of the table, of a bracket engaging the under side of the tabl-e, means for suspending said bracket from a support above the same and means for rotating t-he shaft.

2. The combination with a vertical shaft, a table secured thereto, and radial wings or vanes on the upper face of the table, of a bracket having a bearing for the shaft below i the table and forming a seat for the table, adjustable supporting devices engaging the brackets and extending upwardly beyond ythe outer edge of the table and secured at their upper ends, and means for rotatingthe shaft.

3. The combination with a shaft and means for rotating same', of a table having aconvex upper face and radial wings or vanes secured to said upper face, a bracket attached to the table, and means for suspending said bracket and table in the hold of a boat.

4. The combination with a shaft and means for rotating same, of a table having convex upper and lower faces, radial wings or vanes secured to the upper face of the table and a hopper for discharging the material onto the upper face of the table.

5. Ihe combination with a shaft, means for rotating same, a table having convex upper face and radial wings or vanes secured to said upper face, of arms engaging the under side of the table and projecting outwardly therefrom and rods attached to said arms for suspending the table in the hold of a boat.

6. The combination with a shaft, means for rotating saine, a table .having convex upper face and radial wings or vanes secured to said upper face, of adjustable means engaging the under side of the table for supporting same.

7 The combination with a shaft, means for rotating same, a table secured to the shaft and having a convex upper face, and radial wings or vanes secured to said upper face, the said wings or vanes being of approximately V shape longitudinally and incross-section, of means engaging the under side of the table for supporting same in the hatchway of a vessel.

8. The combination with a shaft and means for rotating same, of a table secured to the shaft, radial wings or vanes secured to the upper face of the table, a bracket engaging the shaft below the table and antifriction-balls carried by said bracket and forming a seat for the table and suspending devices attached to said bracket for suspending the table within the hold of a boat.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES AUGUSTUS TURNER.

Witnessesz.

J. D. DUFFEY, A. T. JAcoBs. 

